A former 40 year Atheist analyzes Atheism, without resorting to theism, deism, or fantasy.***If You Don't Value Truth, Then What DO You Value?***If we say that the sane can be coaxed and persuaded to rationality, and we say that rationality presupposes logic, then what can we say of those who actively reject logic?***Atheists have an obligation to give reasons in the form of logic and evidence for rejecting Theist theories.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Latest on Syria/Sarin

NEWS: National Security Council officials just held a background briefing with reporters on the declassified intel assessment of last week's chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, Syria. Full story coming soon, but a few takeaways:

Sarin confirmed as the nerve agent used via testing on victims as well as symptoms. Secondary responders also suffered exposure symptoms.

Su-22s from Shayrat airfield dropped the sarin on Khan Shaykhun; conventional weapons were dropped about six hours later on hospital treating sarin victims - "no comment" from officials on if Russia did latter.

No ISIS or other terrorists in area have sarin (just mustard gas) - attack was "not a terrorist holding of sarin or a terrorist use of sarin"

WH official on if Russia, present at airfield, knew of sarin attack: "We don't have information on that per se... still looking into that." Adding: "We do think that it is a question worth asking" Russians how they were with Syrian forces at airfield "and did not have knowledge" of the attack in planning/prep stages.

"Leakage inconsistent" with Russians saying sarin came from opposition stocks on ground - "we don't see a building with that chemical residue"

On Syria hoax conspiracy theories: Body of evidence "too massive" for anyone to fabricate. Official added that videos released of attack did correspond with that date, time, location.

Here's the problem. The airstrike seems irrationally based, given the (very limited) body of evidence we have. It is now admitted that Ivanka's passions upon seeing photos of children influenced the decision at least somewhat. It is not sensible that Assad would use gas for no real reason, dumping a cannister on a road with the very light breeze carrying it across a large field. The photos indicate that the crater and cannister were manipulated by people who were extremely inadequately dressed for such toxins. The condition of the cannister - if that in the photo was the actual cannister - indicates that a second, external explosive crushed it, yet there is no sign of fragments of that explosive.

There is much here in the way of visual evidence to indicate that this was a false flag. It is likely that we will never know for certain.

I suspect that there will be a spook lead, FBI/CIA/NSA, in the future that will say that the evidence is in favor of the False Flag as the culprit, not Assad. If so, then the photos of the children would likely be frauds, too. But the spooks are out to get Trump, so that release might be a fraud, itself.

We can't know for sure, perhaps ever.

I don't spend much time with Alex Jones. Except when he makes the news, himself.

Evolution Discussion Zone

Atheism Discussion Zone

Abortion Discussion Zone

"This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it."Thomas Jefferson, dedicating the University of Virginia

Behavior Problems?

Compendium of Rational Principles

Most people claim to be rational. But few have any idea of what that entails. Here is a list of articles that discuss the principles of logic, rational thought and related topics, such as evidence, truth and wisdom: